VR therapy takes veterans back to 'virtual Vietnam' to heal decades-old trauma: 'A path to peace'

A landmark virtual reality app geared toward helping older veterans looking for closure and dealing with trauma is taking exposure therapy to new places – to the markets of Hanoi or to the landscapes of Vietnam. 

The new application, pioneered by immersive technology company Mynd Immersive in partnership with VA Immersive, part of VA's Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, focuses specifically on Vietnam War veterans, digitally transporting them back to places they may have visited during the war, so they can work through trauma and discover a "path to peace."

"We're tapping into the power of VR to really, really provide an emotional uplift to these aging veterans," Chris Brickler, co-founder and CEO of Mynd Immersive, told Fox News Digital.

Brickler helped start the company approximately seven years ago, intent on improving the lives of the elderly, with digital therapeutics eventually taking shape by strengthening the bond between patients and caregivers. "A Path to Peace" is one of the ways it achieves its purpose.